Robin

I wasn’t expecting much from Traveller’s Tales latest Lego game. Over the years, the developer hit a rut creatively. The team refined, refined, refined its solid team-based gameplay through Star Wars franchise, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter andPirates of the Caribbean. The first few games were good, but after so many sequels and iterations, the formula grew stale.

I anticipated more of the same from Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, and it started off that way. The Caped Crusader and Robin team up to fight the Joker who has invaded Gotham’s Man of the Year award show. The Dynamic Duo crashed through the theater via the Batboat and they’re off battling henchmen in the frachise’s simple beat-’em up style.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Rocksteady have been doing the slow tease for Batman Arkham City, revealing bits and pieces of the game. I got my first look at a spring Microsoft event in San Francisco. At GDC, they showed that the Riddler would actually make an appearance. That hyped up the game for me even more. At E3, I finally had some hands-on time with the game and saw a demo of a playable Catwoman. Now this week, they unveiled a playable Robin. (It’s Tim Drake if you’re wondering and he can be used in Challenge Rooms only.)

All of this is can drive fans, well, batty. I can almost hear them champing at the bit. To add to that fire, here are more details from what I saw at E3.

Holy Sidekick, Boy Wonder! The CW is reportedly developing a new series based on formative years Robin’s days before joining the caped-crusader in Gotham City crime-fighting. They’re calling it “The Graysons.”

A couple of “Smallville” producers are attached to the project, which makes sense since “Smallville” is all about Superman’s formative years. McG is also involved as an executive producer.

Frank Miller introduced fans to an aging hero sick and tired of putting the Joker in jail that he ended up just offing him in The Dark Knight Returns.

When it comes video games, LEGO Batman is another iteration of the Caped Crusader. It’s not entirely influenced by the films nor does it owe its artistic vision to the TV show. Traveller’s Tales latest title forges its own path with its own distinct look and humor.